Hopkins Attacker's Background Included VA CHP

Investigative Voice has a good article today detailing the background on a man that attacked a Johns Hopkins doctor before committing a murder suicide of his mother and himself last week.  According to the article, police found that the man possessed a handgun and a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit.  Also summarized by I.V. is that the security staff at JHU Hospital says they won't, and more importantly can't, screen every visitor for deadly weapons.

Paul Warren Pardus was obviously highly motivated to do harm to people and he had the means with which to act.  Thankfully, in his derangement, he only harmed three people in the doctor, himself and his mother.  The doc looks like he will make a full recovery.  His mother, though sad, was probably not living a quality life and Pardus disgustingly didn't seek help and chose to take his own life.  Unfortunately, the reaction by many in Baltimore will be a choice to focus on the means with which this man carried out his acts and the outcry will be "people have guns and I'm scared."

Hopkins, a noted gun free zone, and it's head of security has just told the general public that they not only won't screen every visitor for weapons, but they can't.  This means that motivated people know their victims are basically a "shooting" gallery and they are free to execute without consequence, their perverted acts against fellow human beings.  I do not fault the hospital or the campus for instituting policies that create gun free zones, even if they are theoretically flawed, because it is their property.  However, as we have seen time and time again, disarmament zones become victim zones.

It is extremely unfortunate that Mr. Pardus snapped like this, but I don't know how you can pre-screen anyone for premeditation towards physical violence.  As someone who has gone through the process to obtain a VA permit to carry a concealed weapon, I can assure you that a through background check is conducted and it sounds like Mr. Pardus did not have any prior predisposition that would have denied him a permit.  What bothers me is the abject failure of the security staff to enforce it's policy against people who exhibit a willful disregard for A) Human Life and B) are willing to violate the rules and laws that create a "self defense free" zone.  From VA Tech, to Fort Hood, to Discovery Channel, to now John's Hopkins, no rule of law, nor policy of property, has disarmed any criminal.  Period.

As discussed here on these bandwidths before, the concealed handgun permit holder's express line for the Texas Capital Building in Austin, TX, takes the opposite approach.  Instead of placing restrictions upon the law abiding citizen from entering the building in response to a criminal shooting a year prior, they added a CHP "express lane" that completely bypasses metal detector security.  Bags are still x-ray examined however and their permits are checked for validity.  This also gives security staff a chance to observe the behaviors of the patrons for potentially violent persons who already have a valid permit.  Additionally, on the off hand chance that such patron has obtained a permit to carry a deadly weapon for purposes that are not lawful, including assault or murder, they run a higher risk of being stopped by a peaceful person read to deal with such a threat, instead of continuing their rampage for hours while unarmed persons cower in broom closets.  

Again, the hospital and campus have every right to institute policies no matter how ineffective they are at deterring or stopping crime since it is their property.  However, it is time that we as a society realize the tools that cause destruction, can also provide protection, and in fact do in 40 other states.  Responsible citizens being armed, levels the playing field against average street thugs, or even act as a deterrent to highly motivated individuals.  True, Mr. Pardus may still have carried out his plan for attempted murder, murder and suicide, but perhaps he may have chosen to not carry out his actions inside a place filled with innocent people who could have shot back and stopped him.

By no means do I defend the actions of the assailant.  They are horrific, perverted, and disgusting in the course of today's, and yesterday's, civil society.  It is hard to find fault with Hopkins as they have instituted their policies for their perceived work place and learning environment benefits.  It is unfortunate though that a noted gun free, and thus self-defense free, zone has been at an epicenter of violent crime for several years in Baltimore.  From a man defending himself in the area with a sword, to a young researcher brutally murdered, to now a direct frontal assault upon the hospital and it's staff, perhaps it is time for a change of policy, culture, and state laws to prevent such atrocious acts in the future.

Righthaven Setback; Judge Rules in Favor of Implied License

Our glorious friends at Righthaven, LLC have received their first legal smack down, and boy it feels good!  The Las Vegas Sun is reporting as of yesterday that new federal Judge Gloria Navarro, has given the go ahead to an implied consent license defense for Jan Klerks the owner of http://www.skyscrapercity.com and receipient of a Righthaven suit.


From the Sun's story, detailing the Judges ruling:

Navarro in her ruling wrote: "The defendant has reasonably asserted that the plaintiff's conduct may have constituted an implied license and that the defendant may have properly inferred that the (copyright) owner consented to the use, especially in light of the established and accepted custom of users freely and openly sharing certain information posted on the Internet."

Nice, stick the screws to these turds of the intarwebs!  Further, Judge Navarro opines:

"The Las Vegas Review-Journal offered the allegedly infringed work (story) to the world for free when it was originally published. It encouraged people to save links to the work or to send links to the work to others anywhere in the world at no cost and without restriction. The Las Vegas Review-Journal website also enables third parties to 'right click' and copy the text of articles on the site. Accordingly, based on this implied license, the allegedly infringing copy was, in fact, authorized by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and therefore, is not an infringement."

See, when people share original work for informational purposes only, and not to make a buck, it falls under fair use.  Perhaps this grubby lawyer should revisit the morality clause of his bar license! 

Blog News

Considering I tend to pre-write my weekend posts, I did not have any time yesterday to do that with the bad news.  I will return to blogging on Monday with some meaningful insight.  It's election season and I have saved up some good articles that we need to discuss dear readers, but take this moment to reflect upon how your lives are impacted by the interaction with your loved ones. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

Slice of Life: Untimely Passing of UMass Minuteman Marching Band Director, George N. Parks

Far to often, people forget that their friends and family are truly the most important things in life.  No matter the highs we reach or the lows we approach, a gentle hand, a warm touch, a kind word, some inspirational wisdom, or even a swift kick in the pants can always be appreciated.  Then there are the kind of people whom you meet rarely and interact with extremely little but through their influential nature, have the ability to forever change your life.

George N. Parks was exactly that kind of person.  In my brief two years with the Delaware Marching Band, I had a rare chance to interact with Parks on a level that was yet unrealized until today.  Unfortunately, that realization comes upon the sad mind and heavy heart to report his passing.  While my personal interaction with Parks was extremely little, if at all, his tremendous reach and outward character has shaped the lives of many young women and men whom have an appreciation for music on all levels.

My wife, my friends, and myself have all learned the "Park's way" through one of his best friends and disciples, Delaware Marching Band Director, Heidi I. Sarver.  Through following Facebook feeds to support our mentor Sarv, we remember George's self-processed mantra that every person should be Santa Clause.  Individually be great, together be unsurpassed and do this every time in everything you do simply because you can.  Learn to do things the right way while having fun and making it so contagious that everyone around you will catch it.  That "it" obviously being tradition, education, leadership and values, and molding kids into adults.  Some of us got it during college, others not until our early professional career, but anyone who has ever been associated with Dr. Parks certainly understood his excitement for life.

That excitement for life is exactly what we need to remember today.  Not the legacy he leaves behind, nor the tradition and excellence that he taught and drilled into everyone of his band members,  Drum Major Academy students, or "baby band" members, but the fact that today is just as good as yesterday and we are going to do something fun!  Sarv captured that and spread it to her own program at Delaware and undoubtedly her students have spread it to area high school bands where they now teach.  It's in every one of us to remember that life is what we make it, and that we can all be Santa Clause and should be every day.  I admit, a small part of me has shed a few tears for a man I've barely known, but the memories and friendships forged through the experience of UDMB that was so inspired by what Parks' teachings, how could I not feel some sorrow?

With all of this said today, I feel only a fraction of a pain that can be expressed by those who were and are personally close to one of the greatest musical educators the world has ever known.  My thoughts, sympathies, prayers, and condolences go out to every member of the "baby band" community whether they wear Blue & Gold, Purple & Gold, Maroon & Black, or any other color that George Parks infected with his lively spirit.  To Mr. Park's family, may you find comfort in support from band members everywhere.

To Sarver:  I will say what I've already told you in your question of how you go on.  You go on Sarv with all of us behind you.  You continue to keep those feet together, that stomach in, your chest ouy, your elbows frozen, your chin most importantly up, and you can let tears of pride be shed.  A man's body is not nearly as strong as his spirit, and Dr. Parks knew that better than all but the greatest spiritual prophets that have walked this earth.  It is apparent to this band member, that God needed a band director this day, and he got a damned good one; the best one.  All of UD and UMass band members are behind you, because all of us were behind your great friend.  Even though your friend did it "My Way,"  we will make this easy for you Sarv, and do it HIS WAY!

And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Regrets I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Yes there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing

To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way

For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way

Yes it was my way

Constitution Day: 223 Years of Simple, Enumerated Powers

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Happy Constitution Day!  A mere Two Hundred, Twenty-Three years ago today, our glorious piece of parchment paper was ratified, thus cohering our great nation as a free and open society, with the hope of limited government intrusion into our every day lives.  For today, let us focus on the great prosperity that has been bestowed upon the hard working, average, individual Americans for these last two and a quarter centuries.